Getting a Survey of your Property

The Property/Boundary Survey/Map depicts the position or location of property boundaries with respect to property markers (monumentation), improvements and features such as buildings, driveways, and swimming pools, as well as easements and rights of way.  Also depicted are apparent lines and features of occupation or encroachments such as fences, walls, hedges, play equipment, and lawns.  If agreed upon as a part of a Property/Boundary Survey, all corners, major angles, and sometimes intervals along the property lines will be marked with iron pins or other appropriate markers.  These serve as visible evidence of the property limits for neighbors and as reference points for subsequent surveys in the vicinity.   

The Topographic Survey depicts elevations and contours relative to any improvements and physical features on the site, essentially showing the “lay of the land.”  A vertical datum must be established using known Benchmarks or an assumed starting elevation.   

A Site Plan ties together existing and proposed conditions and improvements in order to apply to the Town for review and approval.

The process of surveying a property may include the following, depending upon which type of survey is being performed: 

1.  A thorough review is conducted of subject property and adjacent parcel deeds and maps.  Information about regulatory size and use limitations for the property is gathered, and various public and private archival agencies may be researched.  The surveyor may also interview previous owners and neighbors to obtain local information called parol evidence.  Occasionally, court or case law may be reviewed and analyzed for relevance and application to the survey.  Each property is unique with its history and features, and time spent researching can vary tremendously from one project to another.

2.   Field work begins with a reconnaissance of the premises and vicinity.  Then a traverse, which is a “working line” of control points, is set up from which to locate field evidence of boundaries and occupation, all structural improvements, and topography (if appropriate). 

3.  A general rule of thumb is that for every hour spent in the field, there are two spent inside researching, comparing, and integrating gathered information and field data to produce a worksheet and determination of boundary lines.  Particular attention is paid to any conflicts in deed descriptions and on reference maps. Although the survey is for your property, the research and field work most often go beyond the boundaries to take in documented and physical evidence of neighboring properties as well.  The surveyor carefully pieces together adjoining boundary lines to ensure an accurate fit.

The cost of a survey varies depending on the type and complexity of the project and the availability of research material and monumentation in the vicinity.  Other variables include the terrain and size of a property, whether it is located within a newer or older subdivision, or if it is a piece of land left over as the result of the selling off of parcels around it from a larger tract.  Even the season and weather can affect the pricing of a survey.